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Chapter 1424: The Surveillance Committee
Chapter 1424: The Surveillance Committee
Severus Snape held a deep wariness towards Albert Anderson.
It wasn't just because Albert possessed a power akin to that of Voldemort, but also because he would stop at nothing to achieve his goals.
This trait reminded Snape of the students from Slytherin, or perhaps even surpassed them, as this man was adept at masking his true nature and deceiving everyone around him.
The ease with which Albert had used the Imperius Curse on Yaxley was a testament to this, indicating that he had likely dabbled in a fair share of Dark Magic, perhaps even Unforgivable Curses, to have gained such proficiency.
Albus Dumbledore wasn't fooled either.
However, as a departed soul, Dumbledore had no intention of interfering in the affairs of the living. His concerns were now limited to two things.
Protecting the students of Hogwarts and finding a way to defeat Voldemort.
As for that deceptive individual, Dumbledore believed his threat was minimal.
At least, that was the case on the surface.
But in reality?
It was hard to say. Who knew what schemes he might be concocting behind closed doors?
Snape's suspicions were soon confirmed, as Yaxley, despite being under the influence of the Imperius Curse, did not outright dismiss Umbridge's plan to kill him. Instead, he chose to present the pros and cons of the situation to Voldemort, leaving the decision to their master.
Voldemort showed little enthusiasm for the matter and even displayed signs of impatience. Nonetheless, he eventually agreed to Umbridge's plan, consenting to weaken the Order of the Phoenix using underhanded means.
As for the potential chaos that could ensue, Voldemort was unconcerned, confident that the British wizards wouldn't dare rise up against him.
Yes, those cowards wouldn't dare.
After all, someone had already tried and failed.
People always sought to maximize their gains and minimize their losses.
"The situation isn't as bad as you think. Umbridge has a certain talent in some areas, and she will undoubtedly help us solve many problems."
As they walked side by side away from the castle, Yaxley attempted to comfort the gloomy Snape, showing no signs of being controlled by Albert's Imperius Curse.
"Umbridge isn't as reliable as you think," Snape replied without displaying any strong emotions. "Leave this matter to you. I'll continue with the preparations for the Dark Magic Exchange Gathering."
Upon receiving the good news from Yaxley, the newly appointed Minister, Piers Thicknesse, immediately summoned his trusted aides. They swiftly drafted new laws and established a "Surveillance and Review Committee for the Monitoring of Wizarding Family Members' Illegal Activities," or simply, the Surveillance Committee.
The experienced Senior Undersecretary, Dolores Umbridge, was appointed as the Director of the Surveillance Committee. Starting that very day, they began a new review process to identify any British Ministry of Magic employees engaging in "illegal" activities.
News of the formation of the Surveillance Committee spread quickly and caused quite a stir.
Based on past experiences, whenever the Ministry of Magic introduced new laws or policies, it rarely boded well, and this time seemed to be no exception.
Even those who initially struggled to understand the headline news in the newspaper soon grasped the Ministry's intentions through discussions with others.
This meant that to avoid trouble for their families, individuals had to disclose where they had been, where they worked, and what they had been doing.
Failure to register with the Ministry within half a month would imply that they were engaging in illegal activities, and their families would suffer the consequences.
It was a shocking development that left many bewildered. Even members of the Order of the Phoenix, upon reading the newspaper's headline, engaged in fervent discussions about this matter.
However, thanks to Albert's effective communication, everyone was clear that this was just another scheme concocted by the Ministry.
Perhaps they intended to use this as an opportunity to arrest them and dismantle the Order.
"What should we do?"
This was undoubtedly the question on everyone's mind, as no one wanted their families to be implicated.
"Ignore it, of course. If that doesn't work, we'll go into hiding."
"But what if they really come after—"
"Don't be foolish. How many of us are there, and how many are hiding in our shelters? Do you think the Death Eaters can round up every wizard and witch in Britain?"
The debate did not last long, as everyone was waiting to see how the British wizarding world would react.
Very few wizards were willing to register with the Ministry proactively, aside from those who worked for the Ministry itself. The majority were adopting a wait-and-see approach, unwilling to stick their necks out.
After all, this Surveillance Committee was far more severe than the previous Muggle-Born Registration Committee.
Most wizards found it abhorrent.
In the following days, due to many wizards not taking the matter seriously, Umbridge, the director of the Surveillance Committee, found herself unable to continue her work. She then started making house calls, accompanied by her newly recruited thugs, to well-known wizarding families to ascertain if any of their members were involved in activities against the Ministry.
What left everyone dumbfounded was that Umbridge actually made arrests and even published notices in the newspaper, demanding that the families of the arrested come to the Ministry for registration. Failure to do so would result in hefty fines and imprisonment for engaging in illegal activities.
"Has the Ministry gone mad?"
This absurd thought crossed everyone's minds when they heard the news, and they simply couldn't understand why the Ministry would act so outrageously. But that was precisely what the Ministry had done.
"I believe they're trying to use strong-arm tactics to crack down on groups opposing Voldemort, especially Albert's Defense Association," Kingsley said during a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix, which had been convened to discuss this latest absurdity from the Ministry.
"I think this is Voldemort's counterstrike. He wants the Ministry to make people submit to him and to crush any groups daring to oppose him."
"The Defense Association that Albert established has always been a thorn in their side. Yaxley has wanted to deal with it more than once," Percy added, drawing on the intelligence he had gathered while working at the Ministry.
"Because we've been protected by the Unbreakable Vow, Voldemort and the Death Eaters have been unable to touch us, so now they're resorting to threatening our families to force those who would oppose Voldemort to fall in line," Hermione said.
"I don't think others will give in," Harry said, shaking his head. "Who would be foolish enough to believe the Ministry and walk right into their trap?"
"It's hard to say, Harry," Hermione replied. "All it takes is one person to do so, and the Ministry would have achieved its goal. Not everyone has a strong will, especially when their families are involved. It's not impossible for someone to be forced to switch sides."
"Yes, the situation is pretty much as Hermione said," Percy nodded, turning to Fred. "I think you should be careful about the possibility of a traitor emerging in your midst. This..."
"Albert has considered that possibility from the very beginning," Fred interrupted, raising his hand. "If anyone in the Association wants to betray us, we don't care, because we don't think anyone would be stupid enough to betray us and gain anything from it. Anyone with half a brain wouldn't fall for Voldemort's lies."
As for the Ministry, whether it was lying low or using other methods, they had to make a choice now.
"It's either they maintain their neutrality or they join us in opposing Voldemort."
Many felt that Umbridge's ill-conceived idea presented them with an opportunity to push more people to their side, forcing them to stand up and join the resistance against Voldemort.
That would be difficult, though. Most people were opportunists, especially since their anti-Voldemort efforts were going well. Most would prefer to continue waiting for the Wizarding War to end rather than risk their lives by getting personally involved.
"Because many people haven't been pushed to their limits, they lack the courage to stand up," Percy said. "And there are a lot of such people in the British wizarding community."
He didn't think this incident would compel a significant number of wizards to join the noble cause of opposing Voldemort.
(End of Chapter)
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